Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-03


by neighboring pastors, who we'll
knew whereof they wrote. One Of
these, from a member Of the last
Assembly, he had recently published.
This pastor, referring to an aged
minister who lived near him, writes
He was one of the first to preach
the gospel in the Territory of Wiscon-
sin, wherever the way was made open
for HIM, in log houses, in the woods,
or in country school-houses. He came
here a young man, with a lovely
Christian wife, from Ohio, and lived
in a log house on Government home
stead, laboring for his Master year by
year, when the people were poor and
the Board of Home Missions only able
to supplement the missionary's salary
to reach $500 or $4O0 per year; he
struggled along with an increasing
family, with sickness and death OF
two Of his children, and still held up
the standard of the cross, though al
things seemed to be against him.
"He is now compelled to ask Tor
help; he is poor and old, and his fam
lily are needy. He is living in the
same old Lighthouse that sheltered him
forty years ago-only four little rooms
and too cold und uncomfortable for
an honored minister of the Presbyter-
ian Church, The house is scarcely
fit for the shelter of cattle. His place
is mortgaged. The crops he tried to
raise last year were poor. His wife Is
thin and worn out with dependency
and debt and looks as though she
would soon die of consumption. His
two young daughters are in wretched
health, and require the care OF doc
tor. His eldest daughter has been an
invalid for five years with a spinal
disease"
Doctor Cattell then gave sketch of
the work of the board during the past
wear in it's blessed ministry to re-
lieye these homes. The number on
their roll from April II, 1886, to April
1887, was 532, which, with the 80
families provided for in the Minister'S
Home at Perth Amboy, N. j., made a
total of 562 families, containing about
1000 persons. The whole amount ex-
pended during the year in appropria-
tions for these families was only
$1O9, los, or an average to each family
of less than 500. Cannot the Pres
byterian Church," he asked, "do bet
ter than this for the faithful men
worn out in its service?"
The contributions to this sacred
cause from the Synod in California
had increased of late, but they were
still far below what would naturally
be exr ected from this large, intelli-
gent and wealthy body OF Presby-
terians. They did not yet support the
disabled ministers found within their
own bounds, and recommended by
their own Presbyteries. Last year, as
the report of the Board to the last
General Assembly shows, the churches
in California paid into the treasury
81 1856, and drew out for the support
Of their own aged and sick ministers
nearly twice that sum. To be sure
this was an Improvement on the veal
before, when all the churches in thin
synod contributed only $847, and
drew out nearly three times whai
they paid in. In that year the Pres
bytery of Los Angeles headed the lis
in the amount of contributions made
but even these contributions through
out the entire Presbytery footed VI
less than 500.
The doctor expressed the conviction
that when the Presbyterians Of th'
Pacific coast were better informed OF
the subject they would not only sup
port all the disabled ministers within
the bonds of their synod, but woul'
help the poorer synods to take care Q
theirs. He knew that the elders hat
taken hold of the matter, and from
their active and stirring agency th'
success of this great and sacred worl
in California could not be doubted.
Doctor Cattell concluded his. ad
dress by referring to the movemen
undertaken by the committe appointed
by the General Assembly to arrange
for a proper celebration of this "Cen
tennial Year." This movement wa.
to raise one million of dollars as 6
Permanent Endowment Fund, from
which annuties of two or three hundred
dollars could be secured for every
minister who, having served the Pres
byterian Church in the pastorate o.
on Mission fields for forty or fifty
years, had in his old age retired by
Presbytery from the active duties o
the ministry. These venerable mer
cannot any longer earn a support il
the exercise of their sacred callings
and they are too old to learn othe
ways Of making a living, even if the.
have the strength. Why should no
the great and wealthy Presbyterian
Church, which they have so faithfully
served and on such inadequate sala
ries "honorably retire" these veteran
upon a modest pension? These pen
sions, or annuities, he confessed coult
never be paid out of the annual con
tributions to the Board. These woul'
all be needed for other ministers
broken down in the midst OF thei
years and for the dependent widow
and orphans of those who had died il
the field.
And could this great sum be raised
1t certainly could be raised if tn
children of Light were as wise in thei
generation as the children of thi
world, who set an example to tn
Church of what should be done fo
the comfort in old age of the worn ou
in faithful service. Many corpora
tions and business men and govern
ments make ample and honorable pre-
vision for their worn out servants
He cited the example of the proprie
tor of the great store in Paris, the Bo
Marche, who last year gave this sam
sum of one million of dollars to tn
fund which provides annuities fo
those grown old in its service, an
asked, fare there not wealthy Presby
terians who will consecrate a libera
share of their wealth to the sacre
object of providing such an annuit
fund for those worn out in the servic
of the Church ?"
He read letter which he had jus
received before leaving home from
gentleman in the East, pledging $40
900 as beginning. Here in Califor
MIA God has given plenty wealth t,